By O. Wesley Allen, Jr., Author of Preaching in the Era of Trump First off, a confession: I am a white man. As an American and a Christian I have been utterly disappointed and disgusted by our president’s response to last weekend’s event in Charlottesville. As everyone who has followed the presidential pendulum knows, on Saturday, August 12, President Trump blamed “many sides” for the violence that ensued and climaxed in white supremacist James Fields ramming his car into a crowd of… Read more

Living and Leading Change for Good: Meet the Disruptors The Forum for Theological Exploration series, Living and Leading Change for Good,invites you to meet the disruptors – theological explorers and visionary architects inspired by their Christian faith and fueled by courage. These leaders are actively addressing civil and human rights issues and the anxiety about the rising tide of color in the U.S., along with creating social entrepreneurial ventures that respond to issues our communities face today. Our hope is that their voices… Read more

Living and Leading Change for Good: Meet the Disruptors The Forum for Theological Exploration series, Living and Leading Change for Good,invites you to meet the disruptors – theological explorers and visionary architects inspired by their Christian faith and fueled by courage. These leaders are actively addressing civil and human rights issues and the anxiety about the rising tide of color in the U.S., along with creating social entrepreneurial ventures that respond to issues our communities face today. Our hope is that their voices… Read more

It is astounding how short-lived our memory is as a nation. Political ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr believed we had much to learn from remembering our history. He once observed that history always repeats itself, although never in the same way. In our current political climate we could gain much from remembering our particular history with hatred and the moral failings and destruction that has resulted from this hatred. For example, hatred coupled with an insatiable hunger for power drove the United… Read more

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” Amos 5:24 (NRSV). Many of us long for the fulfillment of these words. We cry out against the injustice we see, align ourselves with its victims, and work to change our world for the better. Unfortunately, our efforts often seem to fall on deaf ears—the ones who could change the structures of injustice counter with resistance, denial, and alternative explanations that preserve the status quo. What would… Read more

During the confirmation hearing of Russell Vought, the nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, a very contentious exchange took place between him and senator Sanders of Vermont. During the hearing, senator Sanders quoted a passage from a 2016 blog written by Vought to defend Wheaton College. The passage was apparently found to be particularly objectionable: “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his… Read more

When victims of child sex abuse come forward to seek justice and stop abusers from harming others, unbelievably they are blocked by New York State law. New York ranks among the worst in the nation — alongside Alabama, Mississippi and Michigan — for how its courts and criminal justice system treat survivors of child sex abuse. If you think a law doesn’t make much difference, take a moment to consider Sara: “When I was 13 and 14 years old, I… Read more

“On the night he was betrayed he took bread, broke it, and gave it to his friends, and said, “Take, eat: This is my body, which is given for you…”” says the minister. Then he exhorts the congregation to repent. The congregants rise and approach the table. They take of the bread and drink the wine. Later they receive the benediction to go forth into the world to serve and love. And go forth they do. They sprint out… Read more

Living and Leading Change for Good: Meet the Disruptors The Forum for Theological Exploration series, Living and Leading Change for Good,invites you to meet the disruptors – theological explorers and visionary architects inspired by their Christian faith and fueled by courage. These leaders are actively addressing civil and human rights issues and the anxiety about the rising tide of color in the U.S., along with creating social entrepreneurial ventures that respond to issues our communities face today. Our hope is that their… Read more